The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-07-23

an hour too early she came down stairs
and stole softly and alone into the dark
library where the galvanometer, with ITS
cold polished face of convex glass, its cir
cular scale, with the fine degree marking
and its thin, almost invisible needle, lay
silent upon her fathers desk Who can
tell what loving hopes and tender fears
were hers as she gazed tmidly upon that
delicate thing of metal and of glass upon
which all her life happiness depended:
Who can tell the unoxpressed longing
that came to her as she wished it were
only pug dog or policeman or any
thing that, 10y woman diplomacy, she
could win over to her cause. But no! II
was cold and quiet and beyond her. But
she leaned over impulsively and kissed it,
kissed it warmly and eagerly upon its
face as all the love in her heart outshone.
The needle trembled slightly in gallant
recognition. That was all.
Mr.. Nellum arrived duly and was ush
cred in by Symmetry to her father. The
old man eyed him sharply while they eX
changed few commonplaces, and Vel
lum fondly imagined that the searching
glance was probing deep into his moral
| character, but it wasn't. 1t was directed
entirely at his underclothes. 1t was
| little awkward to ask stranger about
his underwear, particularly when he had
| not been five minutes in the house Not
withstanding this, however, the old man
was several times on the verge of it, and
Symmetry was in mortal terror. She
was so nervous that she could neither talk
nor sit still. She rose to her feet.
'Alr. Nel!um, wouldn't you like to take
walk in the garden" she asked ncr-
vously. ut is beautiful to see the moon
rising over the galvanometer." THE
which," asked Mr.. Velum aghast.
''The lake, the lake, mean,' she said
hastily blushing hotly in her trembling
misery.
81 should be delighted, | am sure"
said Nellum. lie looked askance at her
father. Goa don't mind me, don't mind
me-, said the old gentleman, quickly.
He was rubbing his hands and seemed as
pleased as if he were going to walk him
self. The two men rose. ''I}e natural;
all want is for you to be perfectly nat
ural," he whispered rapidly in Eellum's
ear.
Nellum stared at him as if he classed
him as something decidedly unnatural.
'I'll ALL endeavor to be-" he said
dryly.
Out of the door and down the wide
graveled walk the lover and the loved
one passed. The languorous hush of the
summer night was perfect. The dewy
air was laden with the scent of flowers
and shrub and tree. Wonder through
the big dark elms the great gold moon
was climbing the black velvet wall of the
sky. All, yes, Mr.. Vellum. If ever in all
the dusty years of dusty commerce you
or any other man would choose to be
science, it would be upon a night and in
an hour such as this, with the pure and
warm and precious thing in gauze upon
your arm.
The old man was i'll a state of furious
impotence. Three times had he sat
himself down in his library chair before
the instrument, and three times had the
needle stood motionless, only sending
him back to the door to discover that
| they had not taken the chairs, but were
STOPPING over a flower, or bending over
standing still to breathe in the mag ical
radiance of the wonderful silent moon.
But at last they approached the seats.
They sat down as intended. He rushed
back TO the library and
How the old mans eyes lightened,
The needle had gone from 0 to 9 the
minute Nellum touched the chair. Then
the old man pumped himself down in
his seat, and with the shaded lamp light
shining brightly on the face of the in
strument and bringing the watchers
nose and mouth in full relief he watched
with all his eyes.
"Symmetry,' said Nellum slowly and
earnestly-alone with her in the shade of
the elm-''it seems to me this is the hap
piest night of my life
The needle rose slowly as he spoke
from to II flush
''Te-hee," chuckled the old man in the
library.
"But do you know, dear friend" Mr..
Vellum continued, that it VIII be the
unhappiest of them all if you choose to
make it SOP"
The depression of the arteral circula-
tion in Nellum, through his fear, sent
the needle back to 10.
Symmetry said nothing.
The needle went to s.
What in thunder has happened?"
| ejaculat ted the old man uneasily.
She could not speak, she was so beau
tifully, hopelessly in love that she dared
not trust herself to say one word. She
could only turn herself mutely to the
man beside her and let the soft lumin-
ance of the moonlight sift down to snow
the ghost of the happy tears that lay in
| those eyes, that were SO earnest and
| alight with love.
Vellum felt a throb of joy as he saw
her meaning. The needle jumped like
flash to %.
"Ah!" said the old gentleman cheerily.
"Ah-h-h-h! he continued patronizingly,
as it crept steadily u? to %.
Il have never loved any woman said
Vellum with slightly husky intensencss.
Il have thought at times that they
would be in all my life as things apart.
But from the moment met you, SYM
metry'' He drew a long, silent breath.
The needle was 40 and fraction
"IIigh tension" said the old man,
shaking his head. ''Suthin' II have to
give way poorly soon" And with his
right thumb and foretinger he twisted a
compress clamp just the faintest part of
an inch, watching intently the while.
Il am afraid to say the words | came
to say Nellum was greatly agitated-
the needle went back little. 1T seems
to me as if my whole life was hanging in
the balauce"-the needle was 3i-'but
could you-would you darling, would
you-be my wife,"